5.0

Detected but not Quantified

Protocatechuic acid

Protocatechuic acid, also known as protocatechuate or 3,4-dihydroxybenzoate, belongs to the class of organic compounds known as hydroxybenzoic acid derivatives. Hydroxybenzoic acid derivatives are compounds containing a hydroxybenzoic acid (or a derivative), which is a benzene ring bearing a carboxyl and a hydroxyl groups. The enzyme protocatechuate 3,4-dioxygenase uses 3,4-dihydroxybenzoate and O2 to produce 3-carboxy-cis,cis-muconate. Protocatechuic acid is a drug. In the analogous hardening of the cockroach ootheca, the phenolic substance concerned is protocatechuic acid. Protocatechuic acid is a mild, balsamic, and phenolic tasting compound. Outside of the human body, protocatechuic acid is found, on average, in the highest concentration in a few different foods, such as garden onions, cocoa powders, and star anises and in a lower concentration in lentils, liquors, and red raspberries. Protocatechuic acid has also been detected, but not quantified in several different foods, such as cloud ear fungus, american pokeweeds, common mushrooms, fruits, and feijoa. This could make protocatechuic acid a potential biomarker for the consumption of these foods. It is also found in Allium cepa (17,540 ppm). It is a major metabolite of antioxidant polyphenols found in green tea. Similarly, PCA was reported to increase proliferation and inhibit apoptosis of neural stem cells. In vitro testing documented antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of PCA, while liver protection in vivo was measured by chemical markers and histological assessment.

Solid